Rangelands are non-forested areas essentially in their natural state
where native vegetation forms the basis of land-use. Australia’s
rangelands comprise almost 80% of the continent and have unique natural resource management issues framed by their immense scale, relatively intact ecosystems, unforgiving climate and sparse social capital. Pastoral, Aboriginal, conservation and other land managers in these environments confront special challenges.

Water, either as rain or river flow, dominates the thoughts of most
people living in rangeland areas at the moment. The Bourke
conference has been themed “Rain on the Rangelands” to capture
this concern. Keynote speakers will target the management of
water in rangeland landscapes at various levels, from the whole
basin scale down to the individual property

Bourke provides a fitting location for such a theme given its
location on the Darling River and current issues of river flow and
water use in the Murray Darling Basin. Bourke also represents the
iconic “outback” created through the poetry of Henry Lawson
and retains strong Aboriginal links to the land. The region
demonstrates key rangeland issues including the importance
of controlling total grazing pressure and managing woody
vegetation. Alternative land-uses and conservation management are well-represented in the area.